Correspondence 11/21/17

Just a few days ago President Trump nominated pharmaceutical executive, Alex Azar, to be the next Secretary of the Health and Human Services Department.

We believe Mr. Azar’s deep ties to the pharmaceutical industry disqualify him from being an independent voice for our nation’s health care system. Moreover, his previous work in the public sector show that he has no inclination to improve upon the gains we have made in the Affordable Care Act and further efforts to achieve truly universal health care.

Drug corporations already have undue influence over health policy in America and to nominate a former drug company executive to lead the HHS further adds to our concerns that we will continue to have lack of action on skyrocketing drug prices that are crippling our ability to provide the health care our patients need.

Then, just yesterday, the House of Representatives passed a harmful tax bill that repeals the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act. If passed, this bill would roil insurance markets, raise premiums and result in 13 million people losing health insurance all to pay for big tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations.

The Senate is aiming to vote on this sneaky ACA repeal bill soon after Thanksgiving.

From Helen Garvy:

I saw a bunch of these ads when we were in Portland, OR. They’re huge billboards in prominent places. Looks like weedmaps sponsors them. They should do that in CA!

From a Los Angeles Ganjapreneur:

Announcing a seminar for those seeking to double their obedience:

“…Owens is the Founder & CEO of Adherence Compliance, which has developed the cannabis industry’s first compliance management software via the Adherence SCORE APP to effectively monitor marijuana businesses operations. Adherence has been in operation since 2014 and has conducted hundreds of regulatory compliance inspections.